New iMacs Add IPS Displays, Core ‘i’ Processors Across the Range

The iMac just got a little bit faster, thanks to an update across the line. Processors, graphics and even the displays have been improved, although the prices have stayed the same.

All iMacs now have i-processors, as in Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 (the last an upgrade option), so the Core 2 Duo now exists only in the Mac Mini. Graphics are now discrete across the line, which means that every iMac has a separate graphics card inside, using its own dedicated memory.

The screens have been replaced, too, using the IPS (in-plane switching) technology found in the iPad. The advantage of IPS is its crazy-wide viewing angle, making the new iMac perfect for watching movies.

There is also a new high-end, small-screen option, letting you put a 3.2-GHz Intel Core i3 in the 21.5-inch iMac (the base chip runs at 3.06 GHz). It’ll cost $1,500 against $1,200, but you also double video memory to 512 MB and get a bigger, 1-TB hard drive.

The sweet spot is now the 3.2-GHz 27-incher, which has the i3 processor and still costs just $1,700. Sure, that’s not a cheap computer, but for what you actually get, it is a real bargain. Add to this redesigned, bassier speakers and an SD card slot that works with the new SDXC spec, and you’ve got almost everything you might want in a home-entertainment computer.

Finally, the iMac doesn’t come with the new Magic Trackpad. You’ll have to buy it for an extra $70. Thanks, Apple.